HomeReviewsLego 2K Drive
Not built different
Image credit:2K
Image credit:2K
Lego 2K Drivehas stirred up a surprising amount of thoughts, perhaps moreso than any other video game so far this year. I think it’s because the game is an open world kart racer, a combination of words that sing to my nostalgic love for old-school racers, where as a kid I’d worshipped the majesty of Muppets Race Mania and Mario Kart (this is the only time I mention Mario Kart). In all respects, 2K Drive nails Lego’s historically strong presentation, with slick courses and a genuinely lovely combo of grassy hills and dusty plains which certainly seem like a chip offForza Horizon’s shiny paint job. Building is upheld too, as a mighty garage lets anyone create an interesting set of wheels. The wheels start spinning, though, as the live service gates start closing. I don’t think the gates totally shut off what’s meant to be a fun time, but it certainly tries. Even an innocent kart racer can’t escape the perils of live service, it seems.
LEGO 2K Drive | Awesome Reveal Trailer | Coming May 19Watch on YouTube
LEGO 2K Drive | Awesome Reveal Trailer | Coming May 19
Driving, yes! Driving. I am… unsure how it feels in the hand. There are three different types of terrain: road, off-road, and water, each home to its own category of vehicle. So, as you explore the game’s open world or participate in races, your vehicle automatically morphs back and forth to suit whatever terrain it’s tackling. Alongside your own creations from the garage and story unlockables, it might seem like you’ve got an embarrassment of riches at your disposal; all the surfaces a way to cash out on a dizzying array of vehicular nuance.
Performance wise I had no issues at all. If anything, it might be the most polished day one product I’ve reviewed so far this year. |Image credit:2K
Really, once you’ve driven a few cars and boats, you’ve driven them all. Some come outfitted with different perks, like one cadillac of mine which spits balls of explosive yarn out of its exhaust every few seconds. Another teenie offroader lets me heal loads when I drift and, somehow, it has the turning circle of a 32 metre tugboat (they all do). But you’ll gravitate towards the most boring of all your bricky bangers because its needle hovers perfectly in your accelerometer’s grey area. In the end, the one car which is medium sized and handles sort of well will be your go-to. That’s not to say it isn’t fun to create your own contraptions and swing them around tracks, just don’t expect the act of driving to ever properly get your gears turning.
Never once did I have a pang to just drive for a bit, to either soak in the open world or bask in how certain cars perform. While each zone is genuinely beautiful and filled with personality, they alone aren’t enough to inspire a lazy swing around some corners. Usually, I’d think it fair enough for a kart racer whose top priority is chaotic fun with power ups, not the girth of its Pirelli tyres. But the trouble is, 2K Drive’s concerns lie with your holding attention span, employing textbook live service tricks to keep it from wavering. The ascent to the Sky Cup isn’t as straightforward as a few race wins at your own pace, oh no, it’s glued to an EXP bar and the most irritating of gatekeeping crimes.
Image credit:2K
Image credit:2K
What riles me up about the whole live service side is the way it doesn’t really mean anything. I liked unlocking new vehicles, but not once did I consider the EXP I’d earned and the level I’d attained anything other than a sequence of massive gates I’d need to slowly prize open. And not once did I think, “Hmmm, I’d better go and earn some EXP to make winning a bit easier!”, because the perks and the green bars and the whatnots didn’t ever seem to make any difference. Even the rate at which you earn currency is stingy, so spending in the in-game shop is a push. And yes, there’s a battle pass and premium currency called BrickBux and I wouldn’t be surprised if the algorithm is engineered to loosen the bank of mum and dad.
Immensely satisfying. |Image credit:2K
So yeah, Lego 2K Drive lacks the purity I’d hoped it would bring to the kart racing table. There’s still plenty of character and a bustling world filled with charm, all slickly presented. The races are great fun, with some fantastic tracks to blast around with your pals online or off. But there’s no escaping the live service roadblocks, which casts the game in the same unfortunate pall as so many other recent games. It’s a Lego racing game, come on man…
